Multiple-shelf incinerator



MSON.

INERATOR.

M UH

APPLI S. WILLlA IPLE SHELF INC ON FlLED AUG Patented. May 16, 1922,

3 SHEETS SHEET 1.

C. H. S. WILLIAMSON.

MULTIPLE SHELF INCINERAIOR;

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 17. I918.

1,41 6,430; ed May 16, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- I 1 I a o I W66 Ea /622507" I I A @arkaflfiWMmaa M I v 4 C. H. S. WILLIAMSON.

MULTIPLE SHELF INCINERATOR.

v APPLICAHON HLED AUG-XY 'ISHI- 1,416,430., Patented May 16, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. f?" 7 afiw UNETEF STATES CHARLES HENRY SPENCER WILLIAMSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

,MULTIPLE-SI-IELF INCINERATOR.

Application filed August 17, 1918.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHAnLns HENRY SPENCER VHLLIAMSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Multiple- Shelf incinerators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an incinerator and more particularly to such device having a plurality of shelves, and requiring no additional fuel after the consumption of the initial charge of fuel.

A study of the many incinerators of various types heretofore known shows that they are open to the great fault of requiring such large amounts of fuel as to make their use practically prohibitive under the present conditions. It is generally recognized that an incinerator, in order to be successful under the present day demands, usually re quires little or no fuel in addition to that furnished by the refuse being consumed.-

As is well known the price of fuel is constantly mounting higher, and should a very great amount of fuel be required for the operation of these devices the same would in itself constitute such an expenseas to turn success into failure. It is largely with the end in view of eliminating this objection that I have devised the present invention which comprises an incinerator requiring no additional fuel afterthe consumption of the initial charge of fuel, which initial charge can assume the form of scrap wood or the like, and rarely exceeds in amount two-hundred pounds.

Among the objects of this invention is to make possible the incineration of refuse matter, or the like with the expenditure of no additional fuel after the small initial charge has been assumed; further to effect the continuous incineration of such materials when sufficient is at hand for continu ous operation of the device; further to provide an incinerator having the maximum flexibility of draught; further to provide an apparatus in which the refuse or the like will be dried during its transit over succes sive shelves, so that by the time it reaches the fire box beneath the lowermost shelf it will constitute all the fuel that is required; further to provide shelf supports of such nature that if they become sagged from exeessive heat they may be removed and turned over; further to provide a plurality of over- Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd Biay 116, 1922,

Serial No. 250,294.

lapping helves and means whereby the contents may be transferred from each shelfto the next lower shelf; further to maintain such relation between the number of shelves and the amount of overlap that the minimum loss of heat and maximum combustion will be effected; further to make the interior parts of the device removable and replaceable whereby repairs and changes may be quickly-and easily effected, to provide a more simple, economical and efficacious device of the class described; and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear.

My invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while I have shown therein a preferred construction I desire it to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an incinerator constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of F 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line l4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 i a vertical-section on the line 55 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of my incinerator when constructed of a portable nature.

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section through the central portion of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fra mentary horizontal section through the form of incinerator shown in Figures. 6 and 7 and taken just above the lowermost shelf.

Referring to the form of construction shown in Figures 1 to 5, it will be seen that the body portioncomprises the stack 1, fire box 2 andash pit 3, all of which are constructed of brick or other suitable material and are in vertical alinement with each other.

Positioned within the firebox 2 are the grate the small bars 5 may be positioned as shown, and when manure or the like is being incinerated the small bars 5 may be removed for the purpose of increasing the draugl'it.

Positioned within the stack 1 above the firebox 2 and spaced apart vertically at suitable distances are the shelves 7, which shelves it will be noted are arranged in over lapping relation so that there is provided on alternate sides of the stack the upwardly extending passages 8 and 9 respectively, which, communicating with the transverse passages 10 complete the zigzag or tortuous passage from the firebox 2 to the top of the stack. These shelves 7 are formed of material of relatively large thermal conductivity such as old boiler plate or the like.

The shelves 7 are supported upon three sides by the projecting bricks or blocks 11 built into the walls of the stack 1. As additional supports for the shelves 7 there extend across from the two opposite sides of the stack walls the cross bars 12, one end of each of which is inserted in the blind recesses 13, while the other end is seated in the opening 14:, the latter of which extends entirely through its respective stack wall in order that the bars 12 may be inserted therethroughwhen being placed in position within the stack, after which the opening 1 1 may be temporarily plugged up with the removable brick 15, the cracks around which may be plugged up with mud or the'like. 3y this arrangements any one of the cross bars 12, should the same become sagged from the heat, can be quickly removed by withdrawing the brick 15 and pulling the bar 12 through the opening 14, after which it can be turned over and replaced within the stack 1. In order to prevent the crushing of the walls of the stack 1 I have provided in the lower portion of the openings 14 the plates 20, upon which the ends of the bars 12 rest.

Due to the intense heat created within this incinerator it has been found by experiment that cast iron bars do not possess sufficient longevity of service, and I have accordingly devised specially formed bars which. consist of a plurality of strips or plates 16 of such material as wagon tire steel or the like, and these plates are separated from each other by intervening washers, through which washers extend the rivets, bolts or the like 1?. This construction has been found to give very satisfactory results, and as stated above,

should these bars become sagged they can be quickly and easily removed, turned over and replaced in position.

The ash pit 3 is provided with the sliding doors 18 for the purpose of removing the ashes and regulating the draught. These doors are slidably mounted upon the runway 21, upon which they may be readily slid sideways to regulate the amount of opening. The firebox 2 is provided with a suitable door 22, through which the initial charge of fuel may be introduced upon the grates in building the fire needed to start the operation of the incinerator.

The stack 1 is provided with a plurality of openings 23 extending therethrough and covering the outside of these openings are the doors 2-1, which are suitably hinged to the outer face of the stack wall and provided with the usual catch arrangements for securing each of them in closed position. These openings are located in pairs adjacent that end of the passageways 10, where the respective shelves 7 contact with the stack wall as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4. It is to be observed from Figure 2 that these openings flare inwardly to facilitate the operation of the rake, poker or the like therethrough when pushing the garbage or other refuse from one shelf down onto the next lower shelf.

In the operation of my improved incinerator the garbage or other refuse which has been collected in suitable quantities is first distributed in a layer not to exceed one or two inches in depth upon each of the shelves 7, after which a fire is built in the firebox and continued until the garbage on the low ermost shelf begins-to catch fire when it is pushed by means of a rake, hoe or the like operated through adj acentopenings 23 from off this shelf into the fire in the firebox. The remaining refuse upon each of the shelves 7 is then raked down onto the next lower shelf and fresh refuse thrown upon the top shelf. As soon as the refuse upon the lowermost shelf begins to take fire it is in turn raked off into the fire and the above operation repeated. During the progress of the garbage or other refuse from the top shelf 7 successively over each of the intervening shelves and down to the lowermost shelf it becomes sufficiently dried, so that it begins to take fire upon the lowermost shelf, after whichit is ready to be raked into the fire and thus itself constitute the necessary fuel for the carrying on of the incinerating operation.

When the refuse upon the lowermost shelf is ready to be raked into the fire the necessity for additional fuel such as wood or the like is at an end, the burning refuse itself thereafter furnishing the fuel for future operations. From this it will be seen that T have provided a substantially fuelless incinerator, the amount of fuel necessary to start the operations being so small as to be practically negligible compared withthe amount of fuel necessary for the operation of incinerators heretofore known.

I have found that excellent results can be obtained by constructing the brick chimney or stack of the incinerator to have four and one-half by six feet inside dimensions and a height of twelve feet, and placing therein a series of six drying shelves overlapping each other in such a way that they respectively close off the entire cross section of the chimney exce )i) for a slit one foot wide along the longer side. I do not however, wish to be confined to these exact dimensions and number of shelves since the same might be varied and yet obtain good results. This arrangement has however, by experiment been found to result in the minimum loss of heat and give the maximum combustion. The initial fuel used to start the incinerator can be of a cheap nature such as old boxes or the like, and thus from a stand-point of expense be practically negligible, there being no more than approximately two-hundred pounds required for this purpose. I have found that boiler plates of a thickness of three-sixteenths to three-eighths of an inch provide excellent material for the formation of the shelves 7, and furthermore are of such, nature that they may be readily taken out and straightened should they become warped or buckled. The construction of the main portion of the stack may be of ordinary brick, but in view of the intense heat created within, the same should be lined with firebrick or other brick of a fire resisting nature.

The form of incinerator described above is of a more or less permanent nature and is admirably adapted for use in army training camps or the like. However, for use in field work or instances where it might be desired to move the same from place to place I have devised the portable form of incinerator shown in Figures 6 to 8, which, as seen is constructed of sheet metal secured together at the corners as indicated at 30. These corner joints may be additionally provided with bolts or the like extending therethrough for the purpose of rigidity. In this portable form of incinerator thesupports for the shelves 7 assume the form of rods 31 and 32 extending across the stack from side to side, and which rods may have a nut or screw upon the end of each thereof or not as desired. The inner edges of each of the shelves 7 are bent downwardly in the form of a circle to provide elongated apertures through which the rods 31 may be inserted when assembling the device. In this form of incinerator I have shown only one opening 23 for each shelf, through which the refuse may be raked from the shelves, but it is to be understood that more than one opening may be used for each shelf if desired. These openings 23 are closed by the pivotally mounted doors 24.

In this form of portable incinerator the grate bars 40 are flattened at their ends as shown at 4-1, and secured by rivets 42 to the bars 43, which grate bars in assembled form will be placed upon suitable rods, project-ions or the like 50 extending in appropriate position through the side walls as indicated in cross section in Figure 7.

Aside from the features which render the same portable the incinerator of Figures 6 to 8 otherwise operates in the same manner as that pointed out above in connection with; Fgures l to 5. As is obvious this portable type of device may be quickly taken apart, transported. to a new location and readily reassembled for use as desired. This portable type however, is not as efiicient as thatillustrated in Figures 1 to 5 if used without external insulation, due to the fact that it is constructed of sheet metal, thus permitting a large escape of heat by radiation. Such insulation however, may be readily provided by any of the well known means such as the addition of asbestos or the providing of a space to be filled with sand or the like, the particular form of insulation usedi being determined by the conditions surrounding the same at the time of assen'ibling.

In both forms of my invention the volume of the garbage or other refuse is greatly diminished by the evaporation of the water, a. layer of four inches thick on the top shelf scarcely amounting to more than one inch thick by the time it reaches the lowermost shelf. The large amount of water evaporated is readily seen being given off at the top of the stack in the form of vapor.

I consider it'a very important feature that the shelves should be constructed of material of relatively large thermal conductivity whereby to readily transmit the heat there through, and thus greatly increase the effective action upon the refuse on the various shelves. In the incinerator constructed as described above great flexibility of draught is secured, and in fact unless carefully regulated and closely watched the heat produced by the refuse being consumed will become too great.

H aving now! described my invention I claim:

1. A refuse incinerator comprising a vertical stack of substantially uniform horizontal cross section throughout, a fire box at the lower end of said stack, and a series of overlapping horizontal shelves disposed alternately at opposite sides of the stack, each shelf being close to one side of the stack and terminating short of the opposite side thereof so as to provide a tortuous passage for the heated gases from the fire box over and about the refuse on the several shelves, said stack having a relative large opening directly above the topmost shelf to permit the placing of the refuse thereon, said stack having openings adjacent each shelf whereby access may be had to the stack for raking the refuse from one shelf onto the next lower shelf.

2. A refuse incinerator comprising a vertical stack of substantially uniform her zontal cross section throughout, a fire box at the lower end of said stack and a series of overlapping horizontal shelves disposed alternately at opposite sides of the stack, each shelf being close to one side of the stack and terminating short of the opposite side thereof so as to provide a tortuous passage for the heated gases over and about the refuse on the several shelves, said stack having its entire top open directly above the topmost shelf to permit the placing of the lapping horizontal shelves disposed alterna-tely at opposite sides of the stack, each shelf being close to one side of the stack and terminating short of the opposite side thereof so as to provide a tortuous passage for the heated gases over and about the refuse on the several shelves, said stack having its entire top open directly above the topmost shelf to permit the placing of the refuse thereon, said stack having openings adjacent each shelf whereby access may be had to the stack for raking the refuse from one shelf onto the next lower shelf, and means for closing said openings.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES HENRY SPENCER WILLIAMSON.

Witnesses Home]; WV. GALE, JOHN K. RANDOLPH. 

